American olim at Ben-Gurion Airport. The new holiday, National Aliyah Day, will fall on the seventh day of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan. Photo: Sasson Tiram, courtesy of Nefesh B’Nefesh.

JNS.org – The Israeli Knesset has formally declared a new holiday, National Aliyah Day, to celebrate the country’s history of immigration and immigrants’ contributions to the Jewish state.

The new holiday, which will fall on the seventh day of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan (falling anywhere from late October to early November depending on the Gregorian calendar year), will be marked by celebrations in the Knesset; a special cabinet session; and events at the president’s residence, schools, and army and police facilities.

“Israel’s prosperity was achieved, in part, thanks to those who left what they had behind and moved to the land of Israel,” stated the bill that formalized the new holiday.

“Moreover, the immigration to Israel is a symbol of Jewish history, during which the Jews lived in Israel, were expelled, but never abandoned it for a moment and returned to it — their historical home — as part of the Zionist national miracle,” the bill added.